X-Men Legacy #240

[Marvel Comics, 5.0]

Dan Faust:
I’m new to X-Men Legacy. I read a handful of issues here and there, but didn’t decide to read it regularly until after the recent “Second Coming” event. I’ve enjoyed the last two issues of Legacy, especially the interplay between Rogue and Magneto (Master of Magnetism and Casual Menswear), however this latest issue felt a little off. There was a lot of exposition. A lot. I don’t mind a character singing the “Exposition Song” every now and then, but it felt like that’s really all this issue had to offer. That being said, even a less-than-amazing issue of X-Men Legacy isn’t too bad.
[6]

Caroline Pruett:
I’ve generally been a fan of Mike Carey’s writing on this series, but occasionally he takes detours into total incomprehensibility, and this is one of those times. To be fair, there is exposition, but it’s of the “the more you explain, the more I don’t understand” variety. There is one neat twist toward the end, and Clay Mann does some interesting things with layouts. But basically, an arc that started as a strong character-based exploration of Rogue, Magneto, and their young charges has turned into something I can barely even follow.
[3]

Jennifer Smith:
I wasn’t a fan of the Children of the Vault when Mike Carey introduced them several years ago, and I’m still not a fan here. Attacks by huge groups of indistinguishable characters never make for interesting fight scenes, and the technobabble exposition they’re fond of spouting here was enough to make my eyes glaze over. There are good things in this comic — great characterization of Magneto, Paras, and Vault-resident Luz, and great art by Clay Mann, who is excellent with anatomy (even believably drawing a hand being shoved under the skin of a face!) but is sadly hampered by sub-par inking and coloring that tends to lighten Indian characters’ faces. I like Mike Carey a lot as a writer, and I think he does excellent things with character and plot most of the time, but I’ll be happy when the Children return to their Vault.
[6]